So You Think You Can Dance Results: Did the Right Contestants Crack the Season 8 Top 10?

Traditions were broken on So You Think You Can Dance this week: A Season 8 couple who hadn’t been in the Bottom 3 all season found themselves in jeopardy during tonight’s results show. The judges, for the first time in five weeks, eliminated a male and a female contestant who hadn’t been dancing as partners. Oh, and gloriously, both the show and its sublime host Cat Deeley found themselves nominated for Emmy Awards.

Should we pause here for a moment to offer a slow-clap for the best host in the reality TV game? Dee-Ley! Dee-Ley! Dee-Ley!

Ahhh, that felt good, didn’t it? And speaking of feeling good, while it’s never exactly a joy to see young dancers’ SYTYCD dreams come to an end, I’ve got to say I wasn’t too devastated to see Ryan Ramirez and Alexander Fost end their Season 8 runs. Over five weeks of live performances, both contestants had leaned heavily on their partners to carry them through to safety, and neither one had really ever delivered a routine that indicated he or she had a chance to go all the way to the finale.

What’s more, I don’t think Ryan and Alexander were particularly shocked by their eliminations. As Nigel pointed out, Ryan had had a “lackluster” night on Wednesday’s performance show, and went into her solo looking “down and depressed.” And even when Alexander had a breakthrough evening on Wednesday, the judges tempered their enthusiasm with reminders about how the dude had spent the prior four weeks dancing in Sasha’s magnificent, athletic shadow. Nigel doled out a harsh comment about how Alexander’s solo had let him down badly, but let’s be honest: His fate was sealed the moment he slipped into the Bottom 3.

Anyhow, without further ado, let’s delve deeper into those solos with some brief reviews (complete with letter grades):

Caitlynn Lawson: Nigel excitedly declared that Caitlynn is startling to realize what it means to dance for her life, but I thought her solo was pretty average, and that her transitions between movements could’ve — and should’ve — been a little smoother. That siad, I think if Caitlynn is going to have any chance to outlast female front-runners Melanie and Sasha, she should start by pulling back her hair and keeping it out of her eyes. Too many times this season, Caitlynn’s face has been obscured by her wayward mane, making it hard to get an emotional connection to her work and hiding the fact that she actually looks a lot like a young Reese Witherspoon. Grade: B-

Mitchell Kelly: If any one of the six at-risk contestants was dancing a duet with the specter of elimination, it was Mitchell, who threw every ounce of his physical power and emotional energy into my favorite dance of the night. The guy was a whirling dervish of leaps and pirouettes, and that final spin that dropped into a split was particularly impressive. For real, I let out an audible “Day-um!” when Mitchell ended his impressive physical display with his leg raised at an impossible angle. Grade: A

Ryan Ramirez: There was a strange disconnect between Ryan’s movements and the music she’d selected (Crystal Castles’ “Not in Love”), and the overall effect made her seem less graceful than she’d probably hoped. Like Nigel, I detected a defeated quality to the dance, but even if you’re sure you’re headed home, wouldn’t you want your final impression on the SYTYCD stage to be a dazzling one? Grade: C+

Ricky Jaime: In Ricky’s world, pirouettes are like Kim Kardashian’s 15 minutes of fame: They extend well beyond the point at which you’d expect them to go “poof!” and turn to dust. Nigel said it was one of the best “dance for your life” routines he’d ever seen, and yet while I’d rank Ricky’s solo a close second behind Mitchell’s, there was no denying the magnificence of his movement and the gasp-worthiness of his leaps. I howled when Cat sent him to the wings by noting, “His report should say ‘must try harder.'” Grade: A

Sasha Mallory: There was something a little twee about Sasha’s routine to Bobby McFerrin’s “Thinkin’ About Your Body,” but while I felt like Sasha could’ve upped the degree of difficulty, I appreciated the fact that she seemed to be embodying the music — giving us something artful — instead of desperately trying to show us every trick in her dance repertoire. Grade: B+

Alexander Fost: I thought Nigel was a little too harsh in declaring Alexander’s performance a technical debacle, and I loved that move where he performed a flip and landed effortlessly on one foot, but the fact is, he was only third-best of three very fine solos on the men’s side. Grade: B+

As for the remainder of the telecast:

* I liked the uniqueness of Kelley Abbey’s opening group number, “En Fuego,” which centered around Jordan posing all sexy-like with a giant undulating red skirt. Marko managed to pull off a sheer tank and suspenders without losing his sex appeal (no small task, that), and not surprisingly, Sasha and Melanie managed to stand out from their cohorts.

* Nigel informed us of the devastating news that Alex Wong won’t be a Season 8 All-Star after snapping a tendon in his left foot on Saturday while performing the same move that snapped the tendon in his right foot a year ago. All that talk of SNAPPED TENDONS and the realization that it’s gonna be an Alex-less season made me want to crawl under the couch and turn to dust.

* Oh, look, it’s Nicole Scrucnhiewhatzit still trying to make that “Right There” mess happen. This is why we can’t turn on the radio.

Now it’s your turn to hit the comments and share your thoughts on this week’s eliminations: Did the right dancers go home? Are you happy with the Season 8 Top 10? And what do you think of this year’s All-Stars? Sound off below, and for all my reality news, interviews, and recaps, follow me on Twitter @MichaelSlezakTV!

I want to know why Jakob or Katee aren’t All-Stars. Both were the best in their seasons and were teaching the choreography in the audition rounds. Other than Robert, I can’t say I’m all that thrilled with the All-Stars this year. Twitch (I refuse to learn which letters are capped and which aren’t) is fine, but do we have to watch him every single year now? And Pasha? And friggin’ Comfort??? Though I guess it’s nice to see Chelsie back and doing some REAL dancing.

I was overjoyed!! I shrieked when Clarice/Jess and Jordan/Tadd were safe because I really thought they’d be in the bottom.
I was glad that my top 6 avoided the bottom 3, and that my least favorite girl and guy left the show. No more annoying face-pulling Ryan and emotionless Alexander!!!

The choreographers were nominated for their “body of work” this time, not individual routines. The routines comprising the “body of work” are listed in the Emmy nominations – basically, every routine each choreographer did in the season. :)

Correction: Five choreographers (Mia, Stacey, Travis, NappyTabs & Mandy) had their best 3 routines nominated…that’s 15 routines from the entire season, not even close to every routine, nor all the choreographers. Do you watch the show at all or did you even check out the nominations b4 posting? The other 3 were for (1) SYTYCD for Best Reality Show, (2) Cat Deeley for Best Reality Show Host..finally! , and the last one was for Best Lighting/Design for the S7 finale show.

I haven’t watched the show yet, so they may have mentioned this, but I have to ask…where is Alex Freakin Wong in the All-Stars?! I thought Jeanine would be an All-Star too. And Kent. And Legacy, especially since he’s always in the audience. And Kayla. Those are all my faves. Sigh. But at least I have Pasha and Robert. :) But no Anya. :(

Nigel mentioned on the show that they had wanted Alex Wong as an all-star, but he was auditioning for a different show on Saturday and he snapped his other tendon. (Last year, he injured the right tendon, this time it was the left tendon.)

Nigel said that Alex was very upset about the injury. The audience reaction was of great dismay. Nigel looked upset. Cat looked stricken.

It’s quite horrible. We can only send our good thoughts to him and hope for the best.

Why is Kayla not in the All Stars? She was magnificent and Shankman was devastated when she was eliminated. And why Chelsie Hightower and not Stacy Keebler? I personally detest most of the crappy choreography this year, the music is impossible to listen to, and it must be difficult for the dancers to dance to it. Oh, and finally, Cat is beginning to annoy me. She’s not the star (even with the Emmy nomination) and she’s taking herself too seriously for my taste. And, why are they putting “civilians” on the panel as guest judges. What the hell does that guy from Modern Family know about dancing? Sorry, I didn’t mean to be so long-winded!

Although I do prefer choreographers as judges, I thought that Jesse was by far the best celebrity judge this season. I hope you realize that he has danced on Broadway. I think they are trying to bring in more famous people to increase the fan base and show that it’s not just dancers who love this show. Every celebrity judge so far has been a die hard geeked out fan of SYTYCD and that is the way to show people who feel insecure about loving a dance show that it’s ok. It’s an advertising tactic. I did a girl scream when I found out that T.J. Thyne from Bones is a SYTYCD addict. It’s a way to make none dancers feel more comfortable loving the program even without the experience. Most of the people voting aren’t dancers, you know?

Jesse was hands down the best guest judge this season yet!!! I think part of the reason why they are bringing in celebrity judges is to add to the humor on panel. If you look at the celebs that have graced the stage thus far, they’re all comedians. Kristen Chenowith (sp?) & Jesse Tyler Ferguson were the only two that were really funny with Jesse being overwhelmingly funnier. They had fun on the show and that translated into laughter from the audience.

Wish Alex had been kept instead. He was really coming into it at the end, and his personality is a lot more endearing then Mitchell’s. Mitchell isn’t a bad dancer by any means, but if he hadn’t been partnered with Caitlynn I think he would have been gone a long time ago.

THANK YOU for saying this. I felt as though I was in the minority about Alexander, and maybe I am, but I thought he was really improving, and isn’t that what the show is all about? Plus I like his personality! Mitchell leaves me pretty cold, and honestly he and Ricky just have a similar style and look. I’d so much rather mix it up. I am sorry to see Alexander go. I’m still mourning over Nick, too, but that’s another post.

In regards to Alex, they asked him to be an all-star and he agreed, but when auditioning for a different show he snapped the tendon in his left foot, the same injury as last year on the opposite leg. Poor guy can’t get a break:(

Thrilled that Ryan finally went home – I know that sounds cruel, but it was long overdue. Also glad that Alexander was sent home – I think he was just not so good out of his genre.

Going back to Wednesday night, I am glad someone on the panel finally said something not so nice about every couple. I didn’t necessarily agree with what the judges said, but I’m glad they didn’t just praise everyone across the board.

I’m w/ you on ryan davej. It really was long overdue. Also we have a top 10 but only 9 all-stars. I know alex wong was the 10th but due to injury it won’t be happen (that sucks). So who’s going to be the 10th all-star? If not that, is one of them going to dance twice? Also so each contestant will dance w/ an all-star and a fellow contestant?

Melody’s an amazing dancer that I was SO GLAD to hear would be back a’s an all-star. She’s such a strong, powerful dancer that she can compete with any of the season 8 “beast” girls. You tube Melody…. There’s a bunch of her dances from her season on SYTYCD as well as a bunch of others.

Melody is AMAZING!! I gasped out loud when they flashed her picture as an All Star! I loved her in season 1. She is my 2nd favorite dancer of all the seasons right behind Season 2 Allison who is also an All Star again. Melody is just so good with the most amazing leg extensions. I can’t wait to see her again!!

I gasped aloud too when they announced Melody!!! One of my favorite numbers of SYTYCD history was the number she did with the other female dancer in the season 1 finale to Message in a Bottle. After seeing that number I knew this show was going to be on for a long time to come!

I’m excited about this top ten! I can’t wait to see who gets paired up next. I would think dancing with the all-stars might feel intimidating. Only the really confident dancers will shine now. I wonder who will maintain a fan base for votes once they are no longer partnered the same way. This show keeps things interesting!

I am soo happy that Cat and the show finally got recognized by the Emmy’s and that we had 5 choreographers nominated too. I can’t wait to see who the 5th ALL STAR Male will be. I’m very sorry to hear about Alex, I was so looking forward to seeing him dance again. I would love to see Mark there if he hasn’t gotten too big. (I wish I knew how to do the smiley face to show just kidding) I’m sorry Alexander had to leave but his solo was the weakest one so I do feel it was fair. I understand the reluctance since he had just showed signs of great dancing and wanted to see if he would grow more, but the other guys danced better. Ryan was the weakest girl so deserved to go, though some people seemed to be a little too hostile towards her. Its going to be tuff voting as the dancers left are very strong and on any given week do great. I don’t really have favorites since each group left has wowed me at different times and thats how I vote, Not by Favorite, but who danced the best that night. It will be fun.

Caitlynn is better than Ryan, but Ryan’s solo was crazy good, and much better than Caitlynn’s. Judging on those solos alone, I would have sent home Caitlynn and Mitchell. I agree with their decision to get rid of Ryan, but sending home Alexander sort of made no sense to me at all. His solo really wasn’t all that bad. And am I the only person who doesn’t think Alex Wong should be an all-star? I acknowledge that the guy is a great dancer, but he was literally on for like one episode of this entire series. That does not equal all-star. Oh, and very pleased at the Cat Deeley Emmy nod.

You clearly don’t follow this show very closely if you can’t understand why Alex Wong should be an all-star. First of all, he was *not* on the show for “literally” one episode of the entire series. He auditioned in Season 5 and made it to the top 40, only to be cut from the top 20 because of his contract with Miami City Ballet– all of which was televised. He came back in Season 7 and delivered some of the most amazing performances to-date: “Hallelujah” and “Outta Your Mind.” He was on for 4 weeks (not including Vegas eps), displayed amazing versatility, and apart from Danny Tidwell is the best male technician the show has seen.

You really shouldn’t be commenting on this board since you clearly don’t recognize good or bad dancing when you see it. You definitely shouldn’t have a blog called ListsAndGrades when you are incapable of recognizing talent.

In his short time on the show, Alex developed a loud and loyal fan base. I can’t think of any other dancer who popped faster in prior seasons. There is a reason he is know as Alex ‘Freeking’ Wong. I hope he recovers quickly and is able to keep dancing for a very long time. I would welcome him back to the SYTYCD stage any time.

I have plenty of respect for Alexander for doing something different, but his solo was full of bent legs, and he hopped on his closing turn. It was really a big technical mess. I would have given it a C.

I do think the right two went home & am so glad they finally eliminated singles bc I really think Ricky is great but Ryan needed to go. Really excited about the AllStars . After the heart-breaking news about Alex, I hope maybe Neil Haskel or Mark Kanemura can join the season. Also, had really hoped we might get to see Kayla Radomski (had heard she was a possibility and I think she’s incredible!). Most of the ones listed were the same ones from last season and, while I love them all, I guess I was hoping others would be given the opportunity…maybe they will before the season ends? (wishful thinking!)

That is exciting news! Maybe Benji or Katy or Lacey or I can’t think of all of them but I remember loving a whole bunch of them. I really like getting new ALL STARS each week because you don’t get to see enough of them dancing on regular shows, I always love it when I recognise one dancing for whatever reason on whatever show.

My least favorite two went home, so I’m very happy about that. Neither Ryan or Alexander connected with the audience in any of their routines. Ryan is more of a soloist, I think, because whenever she dances she doesn’t make the effort to connect with her partner, and when she does, it seems forced. Her solos are pretty good, and she’s probably one of the best contemporary dancers this season. Alexander is kind of the same – he’s a great dancer, but he’s pretty emotionless and I’ve never connected with any of his performances.

I’m excited to see how my favorite couples fare when they are split up next week. I think individually Melanie and Marko are fine because they are both great dancers who are equally charismatic and well-loved by the audience. I don’t know if Jordan can fare well without Tadd, and likewise for Clarice without Jess.

Ryan is a very inconsistent dancer, certainly not one of the best contemporary dancers of this season. She dances very heavy in a clomping around sort of way, no appropriate emotional connection to the piece or her partner and her solos were just a jumbled mess of tricks and rolling around on the floor.

Finally Ryan is gone!! Thank you judges, but I still gotta say this SCREW YOU NIGEL FOR KEEPING HER UP TO THIS POINT YET SHE CAN’T BREAK THROUGH THE TOP 10 THUS OTHER FABULOUS DANCERS IVETA AND MELINDA HAD TO LEAVE BEFORE HER BECAUSE OF YOUR EGO. Phiuhh :D
…
aaw, why Kameron and Lacey s3 is not all stars ;(

Ahhh so sad when I saw the news here (I missed the show today waiting in line for Harry Potter) Alex, omg every single year something happens to him. I hope he’ll be alright. As much as I’d love for him to be on the show, his health takes first priority and maybe it just wasn’t meant to be… I’m crying inside.

Glad Ryan is gone… Alexander I wasn’t surprised since the judges always took grief on him. I guess having an insane partner like Sasha does that…

I would’ve thought that all the all stars would be different this time around, so many people I want to see again! SO GLAD FOR MELODY, I feel she’s under-appreciated in the SYTYCD history but she was amazing, wanted her to win season 1. For Comfort, it seemed like it was obvious they’d keep her because she’s sick at hip hop. Robert I feel became the Dominic of the All Stars this time around. I actually thought they would switch tWitch out for Joshua though or Will. And I was really hoping for Katee to be an allstar this time around… Haha I guess there were just too many amazing S4 Dancers to keep.

The right people went home tonight (even though the annoying blonde should have gone home weeks ago).
I’m also really glad that they get to still dance with each others and not just all-stars. I have a feeling I’m gonna like it a lot that way! Only made better by Emmy-nominations for Cat (and Jesse) and the fact that the incredible (and my all-time favorite) Twitch is back

I think the correct people went home. I was saddened to hear about poor Alex. He just can’t seem to get a break. Crutches again! I am happy about the rest of the all-stars, though. And thrilled to see Twitch again. He was always my favorite.

Nigel has tweeted that there will other All Stars during the rest of the season so there is a chance that someone you wanted to see will show up–plus another guy has to picked before next week I would think.

All-star wise:
Most excited about Robert. Great partner, my favorite from season 7, can’t wait to see Chelsea, and Katherine is so exciting to watch. I’d watch Pasha dance the phone book. But sure wish they’d bring in Jakob Karr…one of the best dancers ever, an amazing partner; every girl he danced with was at her best when paired with Jakob. Maybe he’s just too awesome?

I’m so happy to hear that others enjoy Kathryn as much as I do. I noticed last season that I was always so focused on Kathryn, I forgot to pay attention to the actual contestant (not the all-star).
Too bad Ade is not back (yet!)!

I have loved watching Katheryn as
an all-star, but I have the same
problem (forgetting to watch her partner).

Funny though – I never had that problem when
she danced with Legacy. They were such
a tight UNIT you almost couldn’t consider
them separately. Except maybe in the top 12
ballroom number… (when they had never hit
the lift until the actual performance). At
the time I couldn’t understand why the boy was
so distracted. Oh now I get it – dropping Katheryn!

J’adore Robert. He’s so adorable…I want to adopt him. I also agree on Jakob, he was the best partner and I hope he pops up! And I agree with the others’ comments on the fact that I will have a hard time watching Katheryn’s partner as well. She’s just so….oomph! Yeah…

So my expected Bottom 3 were Ryan & Ricky, Clarice & Jess, and Jordan & Tadd. My hoped-for Bottom 3 were Ryan & Ricky, Jordan & Tadd, and Sasha & Alexander. There was a bit of concern that Caitlynn & Mitchell would be there but it felt clear to me that their first dance on Wednesday was a letdown more because of the ill-defined choreography from Christopher Scott than their less-than-special dancing of it. So it was a bit of a shock to see them in the B3 but not altogether surprising.
.
I was ecstatic S&A were there, though, because it finally opened the chance to let Alexander go. And they finally got rid of Ryan, who was easily the weakest of the dancers remaining on the girls side.
.
I like Jess – not enough to win, though – but I’m a little unsure of Clarice & Jess making the Top 10. Everyone else I think is spot on.

I am so happy with last night’s results! Mitchell and Ricky both outdanced Alex for the final spot–I thought Ricky was AMAZING!

I honestly don’t get the hype about the girls being so “beast” this year. Other than Melanie and (sometimes) Sasha, I think they are simply okay…talented dancers, but no real connection with the audience. I also think that Comfort is the most overrated all-star…wasn’t there a girl in the first season who was pretty fab?

Alex Wong is out…say it isn’t so! I hope they have Neil, Jakob, or Mark (I know he’s with Gaga, but a girl can dream!) replace him.

Like the idea of different all-stars each week. That should allow for amazing opening and group routines!

This is the third week in a row where I thought all the male solos were better than the female solos. I think this crop of guys is extermely talented. It would be interesting to see what would happen if gender didn’t play a home in who goes home.

I was glad to see Ryan leave but I actually felt a little sorry for her. She seemed so depressed and defeated. Contestants’ likability has as much to do with personality as it does with technical proficiency. I stuck a fork in Ryan during her “meet the parents” segment. She went on and on about Mia Michaels and how she guest-starred on House and mentioned nothing about her parents.

You’re so right – that did not do her any favors. She DID look depressed and defeated last night. I’m sure it’s hard not to look that way when you’re in the bottom three for the third time. But still, it’s a turnoff.

What about Katee and Joshua as all stars? Does anyone know what they’re doing now? And Jamie and Hok? And here’s one I never hear about – I’m hoping someone can fill me in: Kameron (as in Kameron and Lacey) from season 3, I think. He remains one of my all time favorites, and I still watch his and Lacey’s “Dancing” on YouTube, which has totally stood the test of time.

omgEE, FINALLY someone is wanting Kameron!! it’s only you and me who wants them here, everyone else keep shouting Mark, Neil, I know they’re great but give the others a chance too. And that “Dancing” routine, hell yeah I couldn’t stop watching and that’s one of the reasons I want him this season!! and Lacey should join as well

All Stars: last year Nigel said they wanted
(and went after) a lot of different dancers
– but they had to go with who was available
(apparently a lot of the dancer’s they initially
approached were already booked.

Posted last night but my post didn’t turn up. THIS happened last week with Matt Mittovich but when I tweeted HE looked in his SPAM folder and there it was so he was able to bring it up. So hopefully this will show up because the other must be in the Spam folder although I have no idea why. Maybe it’s my email. So here goes again.

I thought Rickey did the best males DFYL routine. Sasha’s was ho hum but Ryan seemed defeated. Caitlyn’s was IMO the best of the females. I thought Mitchell’s was the most ho hum. The thing about Alexander is that it appeared he might have been coming up so I think they should have kept him over Mitchell. Of the girls, I didn’t really care who went. I was not in love with Sasha or Ryan. Caitlyn…I find her forgettable. I never remember what she did.

Bottom line for me is that Jess is my favorite and I’m glad he didn’t even make that B3. It appears that several are finally noticing his talent, so hopefully none of Nigel’s backhanded compliments will land him in the bottom for a while.

I don’t care if he wins as long as he stays around for the top 4. That will hopefully guarantee him that Jesse Tyler Fergusson/Neil Patrick Harris (why does everyone have 3 names)key to Broadway.

I don’t necessarily think winning on shows such as this and Idol mean great things. Seriously….I know more about past non winners like Lacey Schwimmer, Chelsea Hightower, Twitch and someone else who was in the remake of “Fame”. Can’t remember her name, but she didn’t win.

Big Sasha fan here – was never in doubt she’d make it through (why in the bottom 3 though? People need to VOTE!) – but her solo was terrific. She actually did a routine, not just tricks as Michael pointed out. For Nigel to tell her they weren’t “wowed” was ridiculous, just as his critique of Alexander’s solo was unfounded. Watch it again – no, he wasn’t leaping all over the stage as were Ricky & Mitchell (who were both excellent), but he was fluid, graceful, did that gorgeous leap to one pointed foot…to call that fumbling or a mess a Nigel did was just nasty. Do the judges think the American public are idiots?

I can’t remember if a season winner has ever been an all-star? Anybody? Cause I’d like to see Josh or Sabre (my favorite 2 winners)- She just dropped out of sight, it seems. And here’s another guy I’d like to see again – Ivan! If anybody has heard what these 3 are doing – please post!

All the girls completely underwhelmed last night and I would have been happy with Ryan or Sasha…I’m just not a fan of Sasha. It’s not like I don’t like or don’t think she can dance I just don’t get as crazy impressed like some people do. I just don’t see it, she doesn’t have that “it” thing in her at all. I am very happy emotionless Alexander finally went home, they should have been in the bottom a long time ago. Really sad about Alex Wong and hoping we get some really great routines coming up because this season still hasn’t wowed me. I will be curious to see if Melanie and Marko will still be fantastic without each other.